Esotericist
Guiyuxi (鬼蜮觋) Prime Requisite: WIS Requirements: WIS 9 Hit Dice: 1d4 Maximum Level: 14 A loremaster seeks knowledge; a guiyuxi seeks power, and stops at nothing in this pursuit. He will make alliances with dark beings, pursue forbidden lore, and even sacrifice his own humanity for the sake of eldritch and worldly might. Many guiyuxis seek to plumb the secrets of dusty tombs, forgotten crypts, and hidden sanctums, but few do so for heroic motives. These practices leave guiyuxis reviled and condemned in Lawful society, so guiyuxi in these societies often pursue twin existences, manipulating and charming their way into positions of public authority while leading dark cults in the shadows. More sinister societies revere and respect guiyuxis, and many openly assume positions of power in those civilizations. Guiyuxis originated from Zhistraya, the first learning the secrets of death as acolytes or low-ranking priests of the lawful Daoist priesthood, who performed rituals of ancestor reverence and worship. Daoists believe that proper veneration of one's ancestors is fundamentally about ensuring their peaceful rest after life; even attempts of contact with the dead are considered at best a neutral act, and trying to bring the dead back to life is the ultimate transgression. Guiyuxis, in their desire for power, were all too happy to transgress. Weapons and Armor: '''Guiyuxis typically consider physical combat beneath them, and undergo little training in it. At first level, guiyuxis hit an unarmored foe (AC 0) with an attack throw of 10+. They advance in attack throws only two points every six levels of experience (i.e. the same progression as mages), though they advance in saving throws by two points every four levels (i.e. as clerics). They may only fight with daggers, darts, quarterstaffs, or whips. They are unable to use shields, fight with two weapons, or wear any kind of armor. For these reasons, guiyuxis tend to avoid personally fighting, and many guiyuxis prefer for their party members or minions to do the dirty work. '''Class Features: *2nd Level: Divine Spellcasting '- Starting at 2nd level, guiyuxis are able to cast divine spells using the spell list below, and may engage in magical research and item creation as clerics. They may use any magical items usable by clerics. However, guiyuxis do not initially possess any power to turn or control undead--the gods of chaos grant them different powers instead. *2nd Level: '''Familiar '- *3rd Level: 'Enthralling Aura '- Guiyuxis learn to project an enthralling aura that awes, bedazzles and seduces those in their presence. They gain a +2 bonus to reaction rolls to impress and intimidate people they encounter. If this bonus results in a total of 12 or more, the subjects act as if charmed while in their presence. *4th Level: '''Dark Blessing '- '''Continued propitiation of the dark chaos gods the guiyuxi has allied himself with ensures their favor and protection. He gains a +2 bonus to all saving throws, which is already factored into the Saving Throw table below. *5th Level: '''Research Spells, Scribe Scrolls, '''and '''Brew Potions'. *5th Level: Necromantic Resilience '- The necromantic secrets learned by the guiyuxi can be used to safeguard his own body from mortal harm. When a guiyuxi is required to consult the Mortal Wounds table, the player may roll twice and choose the preferred result to apply. The guiyuxi also subtracts his class level from the number of days of bed rest required to recover. *6th Level: '''Quickness '- The boons granted by service at behest of chaotic gods allow the guiyuxi a preternatural speed of reaction. He gains +1 to initiative rolls, including combat and spellcasting. *6th Level: 'Potent Personality '- The guiyuxi may hire one more henchman than his Charisma would otherwise permit, and the base morale score of any henchmen is increased by 1. *7th Level: 'Secrets of the Dark Arts '- The guiyuxi unlocks advanced secrets of the dark arts, increasing his control over death. He may control undead as a Chaotic cleric of one half his class level (round up). If the occultist casts spells that require a saving throw versus Death, his targets suffer a -2 penalty on the save. When the guiyuxi casts necromancy spells, the spell effects are calculated as if he were two levels higher than his actual caster level. The guiyuxi may conduct necromantic research as if he were two class levels higher than actual. This class power stacks with the Black Lore of Zahar proficiency (see HFH ''p 73). *7th Level: '''Charismatic Presence '- The guiyuxi’s henchmen and mercenaries receive a +2 bonus to morale. *8th Level: '''Grip on Mortality '''- The guiyuxi's bargains with chaotic gods and skill in necromantic arts allow him to reroll on the Tampering with Mortality table if an undesired result is rolled when he is brought back from from the dead, or when he casts Restore Life and Limb on another person. The second roll must be kept, even if less desired than the previous roll. *9th Level: '''Craft Permanent Magic Items, Build Constructs, Create Necromantic Servants and Become Undead. *9th Level: Build Chaos Temple '''(Fortified Church) - The guiyuxi may buy or build his chaos temple at half the normal price due to patronage from those eager to secure his occult intervention. Once a chaos temple is established, the guiyuxi’s reputation will spread and he will attract 5d6x10 0th level soldiers armed with various weapons, plus another 1d6 guiyuxis of 1st-3rd level of the same tradition to serve his cult. The guiyuxi’s followers are completely loyal (morale +4), and need not be paid wages. Guiyuxi’s chaos temples are otherwise identical to cleric’s fortified temples, as detailed in the '''Campaign chapter of the ''ACKS ''Rulebook. *9th Level: Dabble in the Arcane '''- Guiyuxis leave no path untraveled in their pursuit of power, and may attempt to use wands, staffs, and other magic items only useable by mages. A guiyuxi must make a proficiency throw of 3+ on 1d20 or the attempt backfires in some desultory way (Judge’s discretion). *9th Level: '''Forbidden Lore - The guiyuxi is able to incorporate strange, grotesque texts of aberrant knowledge into his magical research that most would find useless or horrific. The gp value of the guiyuxi’s library is doubled for purposes of magical research, and he is eligible for a bonus of up to +5 (instead of +3) from library value. *10th Level: Summon Chaos Creatures '- A guiyuxi learns to summon Chaotic creatures to perform tasks for him. It takes 1 turn (10 minutes) for the summoning to be completed, during which time the guiyuxi may take no other actions. The creature summoned might be an invisible stalker (as per the ACKS core rules), a chaos hulk, or other Chaotic creature of the Judge’s devising. The summoned creature will serve until dispel evil is cast on the creature, it is slain, or its task is fulfilled. Chaotic creatures may attempt to pervert their instructions if the task is protracted or dangerous. A guiyuxi may perform a summoning but once per month. *11th Level: '''Ritual Echoes '- With the guiyuxi's rise in power, chaos beings send him visions containing the echoes of mighty rituals worked in ages past so that he might enact great destruction upon the mortal realm.The guiyuxi is able to learn an additional ritual per spell level and gains a +1 bonus on research rolls for learning and casting rituals. *12th Level: '''Chaotic Favor '''- Powerful guiyuxi are marked as favored by chaos, and gain a +2 bonus to reaction rolls when encountering intelligent chaotic monsters. Intelligent chaotic monsters suffer a -2 penalty to saving throws against any charm spells cast by a guiyuxi. *14th Level: '''After the Flesh - The guiyuxi makes preparations to sacrifice his own humanity in pursuit of eldrich might. If transformed into intelligent undead, a guiyuxi retains their class abilities and any racial powers. Once transformed, the guiyuxi may continue to advance in Hit Dice without limit, even past level 14. ' Guiyuxi Level Progression' Guiyuxi Attack and Saving Throws Divine Spell Progression Class Proficiency List '''(select one at 1st, 4th, 8th, and 12th Levels) Alchemy, Apostasy, Arcane Dabbling, Armor Training, Battle Magic, Beast Friendship, Black Lore of Zahar, Bribery, Contemplation, Divine Blessing, Knowledge, Illusion Resistance, Intimidation, Language, Lay on Hands, Leadership, Loremastery, Magical Engineering, Martial Training, Mastery of Charms and Illusions, Prestidigitation, Prophesy, Quiet Magic, Sensing Evil, Sensing Power, Transmogrification, Soothsaying, Unflappable Casting '''Divine Spell List 1st: '''Cause Fear*, Command Word, Darkness, Detect Magic, Detect Evil*, Faerie Fire, Fellowship, Inflict Light Wounds*, Protection from Good*, Read Languages '''2nd: Augury, Bane*, Choking Grip, Delay Poison, Hold Person, Locate Object, Resist Fire, Silence 15' Radius, Sleep, Unholy Chant 3rd: Bestow Curse*, Continual Darkness*, ESP, Glyph of Warding, Invisibility, Levitate, Mirror Image, Necromantic Potence, Prayer, Speak with Dead 4th: Animate Dead, Chimerical Force, Control Undead, Dismember, Dispel Magic, Nondetection, Poison*, Skinchange, Tongues*, Vigor 5th: Charm Monster, Confusion, Fear, Finger of Death*, Flame Strike, Quest*, Protection from Normal Weapons, Scry, True Seeing, Weakness of Mind* spells marked with * are reversible